Achieving Goals_ Define and Surpass Your High Performance Goals - Kathleen Schienle [6]
Finally, make sure that your employees understand how their progress toward their goals will be measured during their performance reviews.
Effective Goals Are Action-Oriented and Agreed-Upon
An effective goal inspires action. The goal statement not only communicates the purpose of the goal but also urges the employee along the road to achievement. Consider each goal statement carefully to make sure it is a call to action.
Does the goal statement explain what needs to be done and why? Does it outline concrete steps to take? Will the goal statement motivate others to work toward the same goal? Well-crafted goal statements foster a sense of community and collaborative effort.
To set effective goals, both you and your employee must agree on them. Sticking with a goal’s challenge over the long haul takes a deep commitment. Goals mandated by the boss rather than created collaboratively with employees—taking into account their hopes and plans—may not inspire the necessary dedication.
Effective Goals Are Realistic
Realistic goals take into account the availability of resources and the likelihood of roadblocks, distractions, conflicts, and other demands on employees’ time. Realistic goals also make the best use of an employee’s ambitions and skills for the organization’s overall goals and strategy. Even then, the goals should not necessarily be easy to achieve. The best goals are slightly out of reach and require a stretch; your employee may even feel a bit intimidated by them.
Paradoxically, a higher goal, and one of significance to you and your employee, can be more realistic than a lesser goal, because it can inspire greater effort. On the other hand, a goal that’s too far out of reach may defeat employees rather than motivate them. Set goals that are ambitious—but not so ambitious that there is little hope of achieving them.
To determine how realistic a goal is, consider several factors. Is the goal challenging enough? Even better, is it inspiring—will your employee want to work toward it, even to make sacrifices for it? Given the available time and resources, is the goal likely to be reached? What conditions are necessary to achieve it? Has the employee achieved a similar goal before?
POWER POINTS
THE MOST EFFECTIVE GOALS
Some goals stall at the gate, while others take off for success. The most effective goals:
Are written down
Specify what steps need to be taken
Inspire action
Have a measurable outcome
Are agreed upon by employees and their managers
Are ambitious but realistic
Include a deadline
Another important consideration is the employee’s control over the situation. If a goal depends on a motivated individual’s personal performance, success is likely. But if achieving the goal depends on circumstances outside the worker’s control, you may not be able to predict the outcome reliably. Does the goal statement account for unexpected events? Do you have a fallback plan?
Effective Goals Are Time-Bound
Even without a deadline, a goal might be accomplished eventually. But if you don’t set a specific date for reaching the goal, your employees may feel little impetus to move ahead and might postpone their work toward that goal. Goal-setting is not static: a manager should always be setting goals, watching employees achieve them, and moving on to new ones. The result is forward movement—whether new achievements or the mastery of new skills.
Set deadlines according to the sequence of events required to complete the goal. To gauge your progress, establish interim deadlines for key accomplishments along the way to the main goal. Similarly, it is also important to set cost and resource parameters so that